This user guide is part of a series of articles designed to get the best out of advertising on the internet. In simple and everyday language, this article will look at how to Write and Effective Internet Job Advertisement.
Let us start with the basics; as with any job advert, it is important to establish the kind of person you are looking for first. There are templates available to assist you or, ensure you have a comprehensive job description and /or person specification. It can be a good idea to include all those involved in the recruitment and training of the new individual to make sure you are all “singing off the same hymn sheet” from the onset. Then, priorities the areas of skills, knowledge and personality traits you require.
Job adverts in newspapers and magazines differ from adverts on the internet. Advertising in print considers the use of colour, size and even the position on the page to grab the job seekers attention. Advertising online is very different, there are thousands upon thousands of job advertisements live on the internet at anyone time and it is impossible for job seekers to look at all of them. The key to writing a good advertisement is to write one that will match the job seekers requirements as much as possible by making your advert appealing, specific and factual.
Attracting the Job seeker
Put yourself in the job seekers shoes, if you were searching for this role, what would you look for? An internet advertisement can only be counted as successful if it can be seen; this means that applications can only be received if a job seeker has found your advert.
Job seekers search for vacancies on job boards, similar to how you would search for information through a search engine such as Google. Job seekers will go through a process of elimination, removing anything from the equation that is ambiguous. The majority of job seekers will use a 2 word phrase to search and these will include the Position / Salary / Location
Position / Job Title
This will be the first thing a job seeker will see and the primary search word. Most organizations have unique job titles within their organizations. For example; an internal description for a Senior Data Analyst may be a Head of Data Quality, unfortunately the job seeker would a) not be able to find the position in the first place and b) would be put off reading the advert further. Use a position that is familiar and common place to the role you are recruiting for.
Salary
Not including a salary will certainly reduce your level of success in attracting suitable job seekers. Over a third of passive job seekers only want to receive email alerts of vacancies that have salary details. A salary will provide the job seeker with a good idea to the skill set and level of responsibility you require and save you time later when interviewing applicants.
Location, Location, Location
Be as specific as you can. Where will the position be based? If you simply put Birmingham, the job seeker will want to know where in Birmingham – narrow this down to the specific town and region. The majority of the job boards will limit the amount of locations you can use; this can create difficulties when looking for say, a UK Field Sales Manager. Try to think of the major cities or towns where you would like them to be based from and include UK coverage in the text.
Writing the Advert Content
Once your advert has been found on the internet, through the key word search methods and you have the job seekers attention, you want them to continue reading your advert to the end, and if they are suitable, apply for the post.
The Online Job Seeker will now want to know:
- Details about the company / who you are
- What the job entails
- What skills and qualifications are required
- What the career prospects are
- Any additional benefits
- How to apply
About the Company
This is your first opportunity to sell the concept of working for your organization. Give the job seeker a good insight into your company – keep it factual, to the point and no more than 25% of the advert content. Ensure that it is appealing and positive: How long have you been established, what future growth plans do you have, why is it a good place to work?
About the Job Role
This is not an opportunity to list the job description in the text; a job seeker is not interested, at this point, with all the nitty gritty. Sell the job role, use action words, positive phrases, encouraging and enticing language. You want the job seeker to be excited about the position but realistic about what it entails.
Skills and Qualifications Required
Tell the job seeker the sort of person you are looking for; manage their expectations. Highlight the skills set, qualifications, technical skills and ideal background you require. List a few of the softer skills drawn from the top priorities on your person specification. Let the job seeker decide if he or she matches your requirements, this will save you time later and ensure that you target the right audience for inbound applications.
Additional Information
If there are additional benefits such as pension / health insurance / high number of holiday days, then include them in your advert. If the company offers great career opportunities – tell the job seeker where can they progress to.
How to Apply
It would be a disaster if you got to the end of an effective advertisement and did not know what to do next. Make sure that the job seeker is clear on the next stage. Do they apply online, phone you, fill out an application form, send you a CV and covering letter? Who do they address a query to? Use as many methods as you can to make the application process as clear and as simple as possible.
Top Tips:
- Remember that job seekers are evaluating job opportunities against a shopping basket of criteria; they are your customers – Think like a job seeker!
- Don’t use abbreviations – you can’t assume that the job seeker will be know what you mean
- Copy – check spelling, punctuation and grammar for accuracy. Applicants will be turned off by a poorly written advertisement
- Be specific – Jobseekers are especially skeptical of generic terms used in adverts as they believe that they are simply attempts by recruitment agencies to get them onto their books.
- Check your advertisement grabs attention – sell your job! Write your advert as if you were selling a product or service, keep the sentences short and use active words
- Always put a salary and ensure that your job title is a familiar term.
- Use a job or vacancy code to track your job postings.
- Ensure you have a Call to Action
This document has been created as a basic reference to writing an effective internet job advert. Due to the size of the subject and personal interpretation, it has not been possible to elaborate and explore each component in great detail. If you would like any assistance or further information around this subject, please contact HR Connexions on 0845 838 6220
August 3rd, 2010 at 1:53 pm
[...] will do this for you. If you need further guidance, some of these archived articles may help you: “How to write an effective job advert” or “What to include in a Job [...]